A short reference of transgender terminology. Uses TSER for a number of the definitions.
Encompassing term of many gender identities of those who do not identify or exclusively identify with their sex assigned at birth. The term transgender is not indicative of expression, sexual orientation, hormonal makeup, physical anatomy, or how one is perceived in daily life.
Term for someone who exclusively identifies as their sex assigned at birth.
The physical manifestation of one's internal sense of gender and self through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, etc (typically referred to as masculine or feminine).
A nonbinary gender is one that does not fall within (or completely outside of) the standard categorizations of man/woman.
Nonbinary people can be AFAB, AMAB, or intersex, and may have any sexual orientation.
Social components include coming out, changing name, changing presentation, etc. Physical transition can include hormonal therapy, surgeries, etc. Transitions are different for everyone and usually a private matter.
Acronyms meaning "assigned female/male at birth". This term is preferred to “biological male/female”, “male/female bodied”, “natal male/female”, and “born male/female” which are inaccurate.
FTM: Female to male. A man who was assigned female at birth.
MTF: Male to female. A woman who was assigned male at birth.
It is best to always use the terms trans man/trans woman instead of FTM and MTF respectively. FTM/MTF place emphasis on the sex assigned at birth and also a gender which the person may have never identified with.
A deprecated term that is often considered pejorative similar to transgender in that it indicates a difference between one’s gender and sex assigned at birth. Transsexual often – though not always – implicates hormonal/surgical transition from one binary gender (male or female) to the other.
Unlike transgender/trans, transsexual is not an umbrella term, as many transgender people do not identify as transsexual. When speaking/writing about trans people, please avoid the word transsexual unless asked to use it by a transsexual person.
Systemic prejudice in the favor of cisgender people. The belief that transgender people are inherently inferior to transgender people.
The assumption that all human beings are cisgender. Common examples include assumptions about reproductive abilities, genitals, experiences, etc. “Men can not get pregnant” “All women need annual pap smears”.
The intersection of transphobia and misogyny, which affects trans feminine people and trans women. Because conventional patriarchal culture views women as inherently inferior to men (misogyny), trans women are also perceived as inferior by virtue of being feminine and pursuing a female social role in society. They tend to be subjected to many dangers and forms of discrimination not only because of misogyny, but also because of transphobia and cissexism.
Gender essentialism is the belief that a person, thing, or particular trait is inherently and permanently male and masculine or female and feminine. In other words, it considers biological sex the primary factor in determining gender.
According to gender essentialism, gender and gender-based characteristics are intrinsically linked to biological traits, chromosomes, and the sex a person is assigned at birth.
Biological essentialism is the transphobic, cissexist and unscientific ideology that gender is equivalent to biological sex, and both are defined by genitalia and/or chromosomes.